#32 most spoken · language profile
Nepali in the United States
An estimated 225,011 people aged 5 and older speak Nepali at home across U.S. metropolitan areas. About 46.9% of them, roughly 105,618 people, speak English less than "very well." Interpreter demand is highest where the limited-English population is largest, such as Harrisburg, where about 69.1% of Nepali speakers report speaking English less than "very well."
Where Nepali is spoken: top metro areas
Ranked by number of speakers at home. 164 additional metro areas have Nepali speakers but did not meet Census reliability standards and are not listed.
| # | Metro area | Speakers (± margin) | Limited English | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 19,293 ±2K | 37.6% | 33.4–41.7% |
| 2 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 15,845 ±2K | 46.6% | 42.2–51% |
| 3 | Columbus, OH | 15,764 ±2K | 57.5% | 52.5–62.6% |
| 4 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 13,214 ±2K | 42.5% | 38.1–46.9% |
| 5 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA | 6,994 ±1K | 47.7% | 39.8–55.6% |
| 6 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 6,667 ±1K | 49.4% | 42.5–56.3% |
| 7 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | 6,505 ±1K | 69.1% | 62.6–75.6% |
| 8 | Akron, OH | 6,120 ±2K | 51.8% | 42.6–61.1% |
| 9 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 5,602 ±925 | 39.9% | 34.4–45.4% |
| 10 | Pittsburgh, PA | 5,555 ±1K | 58.1% | 47.3–69% |
| 11 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 5,319 ±1K | 59.4% | 52–66.7% |
| 12 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | 4,932 ±1K | 34.6% | 27.3–41.9% |
| 13 | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | 4,798 ±1K | 58.2% | 49.9–66.5% |
| 14 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GA | 4,137 ±1K | 45.4% | 36.9–54% |
| 15 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 4,040 ±947 | 30.8% | 20.6–41% |
| 16 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 3,562 ±881 | 46.8% | 38.2–55.4% |
| 17 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 3,530 ±1K | 34.5% | 23–45.9% |
| 18 | Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA | 3,511 ±969 | 47.1% | 31.7–62.4% |
| 19 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 3,050 ±1K | not reliable | — |
| 20 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | 2,832 ±718 | 47.3% | 38–56.6% |
| 21 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | 2,803 ±728 | 61.9% | 53.2–70.5% |
| 22 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 2,647 ±836 | 35.4% | 25.9–45% |
| 23 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 2,504 ±836 | 67% | 54.4–79.6% |
| 24 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 2,451 ±936 | not reliable | — |
Limited English means speaking English less than "very well." Margins of error are at the 90 percent confidence level. "Range" is the 90 percent confidence interval for the limited-English share.
Help Nepali speakers be understood
Every dot on this map is a person who deserves to be understood. Medical, legal, and community interpreters turn that need into access. Training is how you start.
Frequently asked questions
- How many people speak Nepali in the United States?
- An estimated 225,011 people aged 5 and older speak Nepali at home across U.S. metropolitan areas, based on the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey.
- What share of Nepali speakers have limited English proficiency?
- About 46.9 percent, roughly 105,618 people, report speaking English less than "very well." That is the population professional interpreters serve.
- Which U.S. metro area has the most Nepali speakers?
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX, with about 19,293 Nepali speakers at home.
- Where is Nepali interpreter demand highest?
- Demand tracks the size of the limited-English population. Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA stands out, where about 69.1 percent of Nepali speakers report speaking English less than "very well."